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Counterfeiting and inflation

Author

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  • Monnet, Cyril

Abstract

In this paper I show that a lax anti-counterfeiting policy is inconsistent with price stability. I use a deterministic matching model with no commitment and no enforcement. An intrinsically worthless but perfectly durable object called a 'note' can be produced by banks at a given cost, but also by nonbanks at a (possibly) higher cost. Counterfeiting occurs when nonbanks produce notes in equilibrium. When it is cheap for nonbanks to produce notes, or the technology used to detect counterfeits is poor, counterfeits are circulating in equilibrium and trade is only implemented with a growing stock of notes (thus creating inflation). Finally, I show that the highest welfare level is achieved when counterfeiting is costly, or when the detection of counterfeits is of high quality. JEL Classification: D8, E5

Suggested Citation

  • Monnet, Cyril, 2005. "Counterfeiting and inflation," Working Paper Series 512, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:2005512
    Note: 657474
    as

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    File URL: https://www.ecb.europa.eu//pub/pdf/scpwps/ecbwp512.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edward J. Green & Warren E. Weber, 1996. "Will the new $100 bill decrease counterfeiting?," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 20(Sum), pages 3-10.
    2. Nosal, Ed & Wallace, Neil, 2007. "A model of (the threat of) counterfeiting," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(4), pages 994-1001, May.
    3. Ricardo O. Cavalcanti, 2004. "A monetary mechanism for sharing capital: Diamond and Dybvig meet Kiyotaki and Wright," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 24(4), pages 769-788, November.
    4. Kocherlakota, Narayana R., 1998. "Money Is Memory," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 81(2), pages 232-251, August.
    5. Klaus Kultti, 1996. "A monetary economy with counterfeiting," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 175-186, June.
    6. Monnet, Cyril, 2002. "Optimal public money," Working Paper Series 159, European Central Bank.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kahn, Charles M. & Roberds, William, 2008. "Credit and identity theft," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 251-264, March.
    2. Marinko Škare, 2013. "The missing link: From Kautilya’s The Arthashastra to modern economics," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 6(2), May.
    3. Shao, Enchuan & Fung, Ben S.C., 2016. "Counterfeit quality and verification in a monetary exchange," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 52(PA), pages 13-25.
    4. He, Ping & Huang, Lixin & Wright, Randall, 2008. "Money, banking, and monetary policy," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(6), pages 1013-1024, September.
    5. Roberds, William & Schreft, Stacey L., 2009. "Data breaches and identity theft," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(7), pages 918-929, October.
    6. Kang, Kee-Youn, 2017. "Counterfeiting, screening and government policy," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 26-54.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Counterfeiting; inflation; limited commitment; money;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
    • E5 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit

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